As computer chip speeds on circuit boards increase to ever faster speeds, a communications bottleneck in inter-chip communication is becoming an increasing concern. One solution may be to use fiber optics or other waveguides to interconnect high speed computer chips. However, most circuit boards involve many layers and often involve small tolerances in their manufacture. Physically placing fiber optics connecting the fibers to the chips can be too inaccurate and time consuming to be widely adopted in circuit board manufacturing processes.
One partial solution is to use small, relatively finely detailed plastic parts for optically interconnecting various computer components, but their manufacture in accordance with appropriate tolerances can be challenging. In preparing small plastic parts in general, part of the manufacturing problem relates to the inherent effects of molding and other preparative processes, where plastic edges are not inherently crisp as plastic end faces often undergo shrinkage or other deformation. Removal of molded edges, however, creates other issues. For example, in attempting to use conventional machining, such as saw cutting or milling to create a clean edge on a small and finely detailed plastic part, burrs and/or undesirable breakages form at the edge of the plastic materials, exacerbating the problem. This can be particularly problematic in the area of optics.